Ahead of Congress' midnight Thursday deadline, snags caused by policy differences are holding up a $1.1 trillion, government-wide spending bill, with efforts to relax new regulations on some risky financial products the prime culprit.

American embassies, military units and other U.S. interests are preparing for possible security threats related to the release of a report on the CIA's harsh interrogation techniques at secret overseas facilities after the 9/11 terror attacks.

A report on the “enhanced interrogation techniques” — what some are calling torture techniques — used by the Bush administration after 9/11 will be released today. The Senate Intelligence Committee will release an abbreviated...